8 FEBRUARY 1873, Page 1

NEWS OF THE WEEK.

PARLIAMENT met on Thursday, and the Queen's Speech was read, as usual nowadays, by Commission, Her Majesty sharing, it is to be presumed, the opinion of the Swedish Legisla- ture that royal pageants are rather ridiculous exhibitions. The Speech is of the usual kind, and contains nothing that was un- expected, is very cumbrously worded, but has no unquestionable mistake in grammar. Her Majesty tells the Houses that she has despatched an Envoy to Zanzibar to put down the slave trade ; that in consequence of the award of the German Emperor her 'Government has evacuated San Juan ; that the award at Geneva was against us, and must be provided for ; that the Commercial Treaty with France has been revised ; and that England and Ruasia have endeavoured through negotiations to "arrive at an identity of view regarding the line which describes the northern frontier of the dominion of Afghanistan.” The Queen warns the Commons that the Estimates have been prepared "under circumstances of inconvenience entailed by variations of an exceptional nature in the price of some important commodities,"—coal and iron to wit,—and both Houses that a measure on Irish University Education will be submitted which will advance learning "with a due regard to the rights of conscience ;" and that there will be a judicature Bill, a Bill for facilitating the transfer of land, a Local Taxation Bill, a Bill for amending the Education Act, and a Bill improving the general Acts regulating Railways,—altogether a lengthy and tough pro- gramme of work.